Safety latch for hooks



Au 24, 1937. i D. BUCCICONE ET AL 2,091,093

S AFETY LATCH FOR HOOKS Filed Nov. 9, 1956 mentors D490 BUCC/CONE m/ CHflELES M. SHflJ/VK.

Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNETED STATES SAFETY LATCH FOR HOOKS Dario Buccicone and Charles M. Shank, Gary, Ind.

Application November 9, 1936, Serial No. 109,974

4 Claims.

This invention has reference to safety latches for hooks and has, as one of its objects, the provision of a safety latch that retains a position which either bridges or exposes the open portion of the hook, depending upon the initial position given the latch.

The above and further objects will be apparent from the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of one embodiment of our improved safety latch for hooks;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation of the embodiment of our invention, shown in Figure 1, with the safety latch in a non-latching position; and

Figure l is a side elevation of Figure 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 4 indicates, as a whole, a standard hook,

9 as for example, of the forged type used on a crane. Removably closing the mouth of the hook t is a latch 6 which more particularly includes arms it that are provided with inwardly extending end portions 8. The arms l0 extend in sliding relation with the hook 4 on both sides thereof. Welded or otherwise secured to, or formed integral with, the hook 4 are guides I2 which receive and support the arms In for sliding movement to and from latching position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawing.

To further support the latch 6 during its sliding movement and to assist in looking it in latching or non-latching position, links M are pivotally secured, as by a bolt 46, to the arms I0.

The other ends of the links M are pivotally secured to a boss I8, either secured to or formed integral with the hook 4.

As will be seen from the drawing, the pivotal connection between the links I4 and boss I8 is vertically below and at about the mid-point of the travel of the bolt 16 from latching to nonlatching position so that in either position of the latch 6 the links M make substantially equal angles with the vertical. This effects a gravity hold for the latch 6 in either position and, moreover, in the latching position of the links M the guides 12 prevent the latch from being knocked away from the mouth of the hook 4.

In order to provide means for readily moving so the latch 6, a centrally positioned and backwardly extending handle 20 is provided therefor. The forward or latching movement of the latch 6 is limited by th n agement of the e portions 8 with the back of the hook 4. The 55 arms ID are of such length, as shown in the drawing, that they extend substantially into engagement with the point of the hook 4 when the latch 6 is inv its forward position. Stud pins 22, secured to the outside of the ends of the arms it, engage with the guides. l2 to limit the movement of the latch to a non-latching position. Thus, in non-latching position, the latch 6 is completely clear of the mouth and inner periphery of the hook, as shown in Figure 3, and does not interfere with the placing of chains or cables on the hook 4.

While we have illustrated and described one specific form of our invention, it will be appreciated that various modifications thereof can be made without deviating from the scope of our invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus. of the class described comprising, in combination, a hook, a latch for closing the mouth of said hook, and means mounting said latch on said hook for movement from a latching to a non-latching position, said means being adapted to hold said latch in both latching and non-latching positions due to the force of gravity on said means.

2 Apparatus of the class described comprising, in combination, a hook, a latch for closing the mouth of said hook, guide means carried by said hook for positioning said latch, means limiting the movement of said latch and means associated with said latch for moving it from a latching to a non-latching position, said last named means being so constructed and arranged whereby the weight thereof holds said latch against undesired movement when said latch is in either the latching or non-latching position.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising, in combination, a crane hook, a latch for closing the mouth of said hook, guides slidably positioning said latch on said hook, means associated with said latch for limiting its movement from its initial latching to its initial nonlatching positions, links, means pivotally securing said links to said latch, means pivotally securing said links to said hook at a point vertically below substantially the mid-point of the arc traversed by said first named means when said latch is moved from a latching to a nonlatching position.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising, in combination, a crane hook, a latch provided with spaced parallel arms for closing the mouth of said hook, guides slidably positioning said latch on said hook, links, means pivotally securing said links to said latch, means pivotally securing said links to said hook at a point vertically below substantially the mid-point of the arc traversed by said first named means when said latch is moved from a latching to a non-latching position, means limiting the movement of said latch to the initial latching position thereof and means limiting the movement of said latch to the initial non-latching position thereof, said latch being so constructed and arranged that the force of gravity holds it in both its latching and non-latching positions.

DARIO BUCCICONE. CHARLES M. SHANK. 

